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Rise of the Empires
The Great War War had always defined human existence, and had many times taken humanity to the brink of no existence at all. Before the formation of the Terran Republic, Earth had known no years without the blemish of war, no time of worldwide peace, nothing but strife and anguish. Even considering the great technological advances they had made, they just couldn’t keep up with themselves. Earth’s human population grew far past a sustainable capacity. In the years leading up to the Great War, tensions rapidly increased as countries scrambled to claim what was left of the planet’s natural resources. It was all futile though, the course of this conflict had already been set centuries before. The morning of January 18, 2426 marked the beginning of what would become the greatest loss of life humanity had ever seen. Responding to intel indicating imminent and simultaneous attacks, Earth’s six greatest countries declared war on each other. It was only discovered much later that nobody in command of any of the countries who survived the initial firefight could remember issuing the codes that launched their missiles, nor did they know who sent out the initial warnings. But they all knew the war that began that cold winter morning had been long expected. Perhaps it had even been desired. The first year of worldwide conflict changed everything drastically. Nearly half the human population died, either in the war, or because of it. Weapons and tactics did far more than just destroy targets; they crippled integral parts of civilization, from communication to food production. Starvation and disease killed as many as the guns and bombs did. It took eighteen years, but on December 19, 2444, the final war ended. Not because humans had learned the folly of their ways, but because scientists announced the existence of the wormhole, and a new threat from beyond. Humans were not alone. All past truths were eradicated in the single instant the universe opened wide, and they were replaced by a single new truth: If mankind wanted to survive, all nations and all people would have to work together. The Wormhole The first appearance of the wormhole was actually on November 28, 2345, and first described as a "fracture in space". Scientists scrambled to gather what information they could about the anomaly, however, it disappeared two weeks later, before it could be researched. The government launched probes to the area, but there were no new sightings until March 16, 2444. The probes examined the phenomena, sent back information, and then ceased operation as whatever was out there disappeared again, but this time the scientists weren’t left in the dark. The probes reported three possibly connected discoveries that forever changed the history of mankind. The first discovery was the existence of the fracture, or “wormhole” as it was called. Scientists theorized that this phenomenon would allow near instantaneous transportation between two distinct points in space, potentially allowing humanity to reach far beyond their limited space-faring capability, but where the wormhole led remained unknown. Secondly, on the day the fracture closed, the dwarf planet Pluto was inexplicably torn to pieces. Scientists had no idea what could possibly destroy an entire planet, and the news understandably caused widespread panic across Earth. However, despite this disturbing discovery of Pluto’s destruction, it was the probe’s third discovery that had the most immediate and profound effect. Prior to Pluto’s destruction and the closing of the wormhole, scientists around the world detected multispectral transmissions, originating from the fracture, directed at Earth. Earth had been scanned, but by exactly what or perhaps the better word would be “who” remained unknown. Still, whatever it was, humanity now had incontrovertible proof that they were no longer the only intelligent life forms in the universe. The implications were clear - whatever destroyed Pluto also scanned Earth and knew of humanity’s existence. Rise of the Terran Republic On May 13, 2445, an armistice was signed that promised all countries would lay down their weapons and work together for the good of mankind. The armistice was signed by all the nations and codified the end of war. Amazingly, in the following decades, borders fell and governments merged. Where there had been nearly two hundred separate countries, now there would only be one united planet under the banner of the Terran Republic. Representatives from all the former nations would sit on its council. Because those in charge understood that Earth either moved forward together or perished together, they laid down laws that would be strictly and evenly enforced. It was vital to the TR that no individual would ever again be permitted to slow down the safe progress of all peoples. There was no longer any need for individual governments. The Terran Republic, working for all the people, took their place. The TR dedicated itself first and foremost to worldwide defense, then to peace, prosperity and technological advancement for all. To achieve both security and advancement, the TR created a strict code of conduct for its people, with its ruling tenet being: No one is above the law. For all people to be free, all must follow the same rules. For the first time in mankind’s history, there would be total equality for everyone. In every way, the TR succeeded beyond anyone’s imagination. For the first time in her history there was peace on Earth, and this time, that peace was embraced by everyone. At the end of its ten-year term, the Terran Republic constitution mandated free and open elections. The people, freed from worry, didn’t want anything to change and voted the Terran Republic back into power. Ten years later they did the same. Over the next hundred years, humanity worked together, learning to compromise and cooperate and together they not only rebuilt Earth, they created new technologies that allowed the salvage of squandered natural resources that had originally led to war. Humanity made incredible technological leaps in medicine, aerospace, materials sciences, manufacturing and nano-agriculture. Even without traveling to the stars, Earth became a paradise. There were some who fought against such mandated peace. There were always those who wanted more. But when they struck, the Terran Republic struck back, harder. To ensure the continuation of peace, the TR enacted strict laws and harsh penalties. The people, enjoying the most prosperous moment in humanity’s history, encouraged them. As TR President Harrikan proclaimed in 2598: “All citizens must display loyalty and fealty to the Republic, above all. Strict retribution is sometimes required, and if minor freedoms must be compromised to ensure the continued security and prosperity of all, then so be it.” Loyalty and fealty to the Republic, above all. These became the words the Terran Republic lived by and the words the people embraced. At the end of the first century, on the date the wormhole was to open again, the people once again voted the Terran Republic into office. And so they did for another hundred years. Return of the Wormhole Exactly 98.3 years from the last appearance of the wormhole, on July 3, 2542, the wormhole opened for the third time. Probes and an automated defense perimeter were ready, but humanity detected no further scans of Earth. It was suggested that what they believed to be alien scans were in fact only feedback from their own probes. Perhaps, some scientists theorized, they were never in any danger at all. However, with a never-ending abundance of created fuels and food, there was no longer any reason for war to resume, for humanity to return to its old ways of thinking. Humanity had created a world at peace as a means of saving themselves, and in effect, they had. Freed of the need to fight to survive, their spirit of adventure, lost for so long, finally returned. By June of 2582, exploratory colonies traveled the solar system and terraformed worlds and moons. Where humanity was once trapped on a single, tiny planet, the spirit that led Columbus to search for new trade-routes and lands led mankind to discover unknown worlds beyond the orbit of Pluto. That spirit of adventure and discovery grabbed the imaginations of all peoples. Humanity realized they needed to explore further. That is where the story of Tom Connery began, and that is why more than 75,000 people eventually embarked on mankind’s greatest journey. Thomas Connery: The Man, the Legend Former Terran Republic President Tom Connery was beloved, not only for his terms in office but for his work before, and after, he left the Presidency. Connery had been a space colonizer, opening up and terraforming planets throughout the solar system. In 2615, Connery discovered what he called “the Moon Belt,” a sparsely populated sub-section of the icy Kuiper Belt that extended from Neptune’s orbit to beyond. Connery and his crew had found the shattered remains of Pluto as well as fragments of hundreds of moons that had been destroyed millennia before Earth’s crust cooled and the first one-celled life form split into two. The discovery of something other than various types of ice in the vast Kuiper belt, never mind the presence of pieces of the destroyed dwarf planet, was nothing short of a miracle. There had been rumors that some of the larger chunks could provide clues to possible alien existence, although Connery neither confirmed nor denied that. In the hundreds of years since space travel became common, no one had ever discovered any signs of extraterrestrial life. However, everyone believed that if it did exist Tom Connery would be the man to find it. In May of 2618, TR Vice President Martin Harris died of a heart attack. President Sylvia Wyatt asked Thomas Connery to fill the position for the remaining few months of her term. Although nobody expected he would agree, Connery took the position. When President Wyatt’s term ended and she retired, Connery ran for the office and on November 10, 2618, he was elected in a near-unanimous vote. He served three four-year terms and finally retired in January of 2630 with the intent of returning to the Moon Belt. Birth of the New Conglomerate By February 2630, Business Forward, an entity co-founded by the CEOs of some of the solar system's largest corporations, held a summit at which the members agreed to closely monitor the activity of former Terran Republic President Tom Connery. In a memo from Terrance Mattherson, one of the high ranking members of Business Forward, it is postulated that Thomas Connery had indeed found evidence of extraterrestrial life in his earlier adventures and was now formulating a more serious, and long term, plan to recover the evidence. As a member of Business Forward, he further believed they should offer their full support of manpower and technology in order to reap the financial and other benefits such discoveries will no doubt incur. In an effort to secure more freedoms from the Terran Republic, and ultimately more freedom for the people, the CEOs decide on a financial plan to support the fight for them. Knowing they couldn’t outright pressure Connery to include them in his plans, they devise a plan to push everyone else he has to deal with. When Connery needed financing from the banks he would turn to the top banks in the TR federation. In the meantime, Hank Witherspoon, Ben Tolliver, Sarah James and Calvin Fitzgerald, who run the top nine banks in the TR federation, had all applied for membership in Business Forward. In accepting their applications, Business Forward could control Connery’s access to money. When Connery needed to construct ships, among other things, Business Forward knew JoAnn and Mike Conway headed up Construction Union 437. No one could build anything on the thirteen planets without them. Business Forward decided to loosen up their corporate money belts on a few Union issues, in return the Union would cooperate with them. All with the justification that, in this case, Business Forward was helping the people while at the same time helping business. Finally, they knew Connery had already taken bids from various Guardian service orgs. It was a safe guess that Connery expected to need protection from something out there. The Guardian orgs were run by multi-billion dollar conglomerates. In fact, Terrance Mattherson and others within Business Forward already owned several Guardian orgs. So Business Forward could then control Connery’s access to mercenaries. All in all it was Terrance Mattherson that first proposed bringing business, unions and even the mercenaries together into a new conglomerate. Knowing full well that without engaging their services, Connery wouldn’t be able to get to his rooftop penthouse, let alone the Moon Belt. By July 2630, the other members of Business Forward were on board with the plan of forming this New Conglomerate and moved forward in developing a logo to use for their cause. The First Vanu Disciple It took Connery’s team 15 months to reach the Moon Belt, and another 3 to find one particular fragment that was no more than half a mile long by fifteen hundred feet wide. It was an unremarkable pencil-thin line of rock that resembled many of the various fragments they had found before. To anyone exploring the Moon Belt after its discovery, this particular piece of rock looked like all the others. Connery, however, thought differently of it. On Connery’s first trip he had detected a high-frequency signal pulsing with a steady repeating rhythm. Its pattern wasn’t natural and therefore had to have been created. The question was, by whom or what? Connery didn’t have the equipment with him to locate its source, and swore he’d return another time with all the proper resources. As many had postulated, Connery had indeed used his connections as TR President to get everything he needed and more. Henry Briggs had been hand selected by Connery to join his team for this second expedition to the Moon Belt. Henry was 27 years old when he graduated from Southwestern State University with a triple PhD in Xenobiology, Cultural Anthropology and Linguistics. Diagnosed at age 6 with Asperger’s syndrome, Henry was a genius, but lacked any ability to socialize or be part of society as a whole. Still, Connery knew Henry could understand and comprehend things outside of humanity that no one else could, and that was exactly who he needed on this mission. Henry Briggs was at Connery’s side when, after searching the rock for almost a week in September of 2632, the sound detectors they brought with them pinpointed the source of the rhythms. He helped Connery drill into the rock wall. It opened onto a small tunnel. He was behind Connery when they found, at the far end of the tunnel, some sort of 'thing' half embedded in the stone, that pulsed synchronously with the rhythms. And next to that, also embedded in stone, Henry Briggs saw a small figurine no more than eight inches tall. It was definitely not human. Henry hadn’t meant to touch the statue, in fact he’d been warned not to, but he was compelled by a force beyond his control. The ensuing contact he had with the statue was only a moment before Connery had yanked him free, but the short time the artifact had been in his hands felt like days. He was left with an impression of an incredibly powerful presence that he could only describe as divinity and a vision he would carry with him for the rest of his life. In the days after the event Henry noted a startling change to his thought processes. Henry’s rational mind seemed as robust as ever, but he was able to see things from other points of view like never before. It became obvious to Henry how completely myopic he’d been in so many areas of thought, and now he felt a vastness of new interests and understandings flooding his consciousness. Henry knew that this was the very moment his life forever changed. As time went on, he noticed more subtle changes about himself. Though the voices never returned despite all his attempts to conjure them, a purpose within him was crystallizing. For the first time in his life he felt he belonged and he felt he knew why he was there. Vanu. Vanu was his purpose; his reason for being. What he didn’t know, what he couldn’t know, was that sixteen years later, on a planet on the other side of the universe, he would find a second identical figure. He couldn’t know that, because of his discovery he’d be the first human to hear an actual alien voice, and it would speak directly to him. Nor could he know that precisely ten years after that historic day, Henry Briggs would commit suicide. The Golden Age of Space Travel In May of 2634, Connery and his team returned to Earth and announced their discovery. Revealing that single alien figure led to an explosion of curiosity and space exploration beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. Thousands of star cruisers and space jumpers were hastily kludged together and launched into the void. Everyone wanted to be the one to find the big haul, to uncover a trove of alien artifacts, to find their art, to locate their machinery and devices, to learn exactly what they looked like, and then—the holy grail of all space exploration—to find actual alien life. Humanity took to the stars the way their ancestors had taken to the seas. They had already colonized the Solar System. Human cities thrived on several planets and moons. But now they moved into a galaxy that offered thrills and excitement like no man had known before. Everyone wanted to find the aliens, of course, but the thrill of the unknown was just as strong a lure. That lone figurine led to rapid advances in spaceflight, to rush further and faster to find the remaining artifacts before anyone else could. Everyone thought this was the dawn of a new golden age. But, less than two years later, after the explorers picked apart every pebble in the Moon Belt, after they searched every planet and heavenly body as twice as far as Pluto, nothing else was found. No more figures, no hint of art, no machines or devices. No sign of extraterrestrial intelligence. Suddenly, the thrill of the hunt was over and all but the most ardent of the explorers stopped searching. Some people in the media began to accuse Connery of manufacturing that artifact himself, to make it appear that he was still the great explorer he’d been in his youth. Fortunately, Connery had built up enough goodwill over the years that his critics remained few, and even fewer listened to them. It was shortly after this that Connery had dinner with his dear friend Henry Briggs, the awkward, resentful kid that had turned into an infinitely more pleasant person and an incredibly preeminent xenobiologist. It was over this dinner that Henry mentioned the wormhole was due to open again in a few short years, and this time they had the ability to travel to it and study it at close range. Connery immediately had the idea that he should not only launch a crew to go study the wormhole up close, but to go through it, to discover an unknown part of the universe. And while it would be nearly impossible to assemble the massive effort to make the trip possible at all, he still felt he could do it. In fact, he felt he had to. Mankind’s Greatest Journey It was January 21, 2636 when former TR president Tom Connery petitioned the Terran Republic federation for the funds to re-commission no more than two hundred space faring ships, an all-volunteer crew to man and pilot them to the wormhole, and if considered safe, through it. The Senate argued at great length over Connery’s petition but they finally agree to fund the expedition if he could raise the necessary number of volunteers by February 12, only then would the Senate honor their end of the bargain and fund the repair and reconditioning of 200 ships. By Feburary 3 that Tom Connery supplied signed affidavits containing more than 300,000 volunteers for his wormhole mission. He did so nine days before the Ministers’ imposed deadline. He stated that he would narrow the list to a total of 75,000 people. To carry them on their mission he requested 128 ships be reconditioned, and set a launch date of May 13, 2638, the anniversary of the Armistice. The Ministers unanimously approved Connery’s request and offered him their personal congratulations. Minister Adam Miller even expressed his desire to volunteer for the mission personally and Connery gladly accepted. 237 star cruisers and jumpers were ferried to the Sao Paulo spaceyard to use as parts to rebuild no fewer than 128 space-faring ships. Each final craft was outfitted with newly calibrated engines, stabilizers, sensors, scanners, fuel hoses and crew quarters. Hundreds of technicians were brought in to analyze which were in spacefaring shape, and which would be scrapped for parts. Gettysburg converted a fifth of the ships into hydroponic chambers in which fruits, vegetables, and grains could be grown. Dairy products were to be artificially replicated. Water was to be recycled from treated human waste. The space journey was designed to take around 28 months, with a few weeks room depending on the shape of the slowest ships in the fleet. There would be three refueling and restocking stations as the ships made their way to Neptune. After that, they couldn’t restock until they reached Dosojin, Shiva, and Shangdi, the furthest three worlds in the Solar System, and the most recently discovered. With time slipping by, pressure mounting and more and more work to coordinate and accomplish piling up, it was only Connery that never questioned whether the mission would happen at all. At least not until after the fleets had launched. On May 13, 2638, as promised, the exploratory fleet of 128 ships, crewed by 75,000 volunteers and led by former Terran Republic President Tom Connery, launched from Earth, bound for the wormhole with the intention of exploring its far side. The fleet consisted of Terran Republic military peacekeepers; New Conglomerate-affiliated corporation executives and their hired enforcers and civilian labor force; and many scientists, engineers, and tech experts eager to learn more about the possibility of alien life. Months passed quickly as the fleet journeyed to the wormhole. Abundant excitement about the future of Mankind was everywhere, but Commander Connery suddenly faced an undercurrent of looming doubts and fears. Yet his realization sets the foundation of the entire trip: “No matter the warnings or the doubts, no matter how inflammatory words become or how many fists are raised in resistance, mankind has never, and can never, turn from their future. Whatever must, will occur today, but there will always be a tomorrow.” Disaster at the Wormhole October 20, 2640 The wormhole opened right on schedule and cheering filled every open channel when Connery received positive confirmations of it forming. The doubts of the people could finally be squashed with this irrefutable evidence. The initial wave of 38 ships, including the Discovery-1 with Connery aboard, scrambled to engage engines to go through, but to their surprise, they’d already fallen safely through to the other side. Twelve more ships followed into the rift, the wormhole wasn’t nearly as deep as had been initially thought. Based on the previous analysis, the wormhole should’ve remained open for approximately two weeks, but as soon as the first couple of waves moved through, it began to destabilize. Sixteen ships were suddenly caught struggling in the extreme gravity created by the closing rift. The eleven closest to the opening pulled through, but were severely damaged. In the last moments just before it collapsed, the remaining five trapped ships were ripped apart by gravitational forces. Once gravity anomalies were no longer detected, Connery ordered the military to rescue the crews of the eleven damaged vessels. Their engines were overheating and on the verge of self-destruction, but Connery refused to give up on the crews. They ultimately lost 200 lives on the damaged ships due to space exposure, but thousands more were saved thanks to rescue efforts. In the beginning, at least, the approximately 40,000 survivors considered themselves lucky. There was relief and some sense of happiness for the time being. Sadly, it was short lived. The severity of the situation settled in as quickly as the relief of being safe wore off. With the wormhole already closed, there was no way to go back to Earth. There was no way to find out what happened to the other ships. Scientists couldn’t even offer theories; no one knew how the wormhole got there and nobody knew why it disappeared. They knew nothing, other than that they were alone and had no idea where the hell they were. Even a fantasy rescue mission from Earth wouldn’t be possible for another 100 years. The leaders, including Connery, quickly moved to hold a meeting with fleet advisers to assess resources and plans for the immediate future. The results were unsettling. They had a surplus of doctors and engineers, as most of the ships that made it through were primarily civilian ships. They had suffered large losses in the military and agricultural departments however. After assessing the remaining ships, only three of the twenty-three hydroponic ships had made it through, and the only Explorer-class battle cruisers that survived were the two leading the fleet, leaving only 1,100 soldiers. The Death March Five months passed and the lost fleet still wasn’t any closer to finding a planet suitable for terraforming. To make matters worse, tensions between the TR and insurgents had increased recently, and Colonel Morgannis continued to vocalize his increasing worry about an insurrection. More and more innocent people were becoming injured during the increasingly turbulent times. Connery, to protect the people and to enforce the peace, called in the military. Armed soldiers began patrolling the halls in increasing numbers. After a year, the fleet still remained lost. Without the ability to turn back all they could do was to continue on. The people referred to the voyage as a death march. Attacks by the insurgents continued forcing Connery to order strict curfews. Despite this, fighting continued to break out regularly throughout the fleet. Initially, the soldiers were instructed to shoot only to stun. But when the insurgents started to kill innocent people, the order was escalated to shoot to kill. Attack on Explorer-5 On January 3, 2642, the conflict within the fleet reached a new high. Fifty-three insurgents broke into the military weapons supply aboard the Terran Republic military ship, Explorer-5. They killed six soldiers and stole nearly 300 Cyclers. With their stolen arms, they forced their way onto the ship’s bridge and demanded that the Captain step down and give them the ship. It became clear almost immediately that reasoning with them was out of the question. They would not disclose where they planned on taking the ship, what they were going to feed their crew with, or how a few dozen armed civilians planned on operating an entire battle cruiser. Connery ordered troops to respond. In the ensuing firefight, over seventy people died, including nearly two dozen TR soldiers. The insurgents were nearly wiped out, with only a few critically wounded. The fleet’s greatest losses came with the death of Captain Rebecca Grey and a few other key military leaders. Both Col. Morgannis and Connery quickly agreed it was a suicide mission intended to weaken the military, as they decided to attack one of two military vessels full of armed troops instead any of the civilian ships. They didn’t stand a chance. It was with this attack that Connery realized the human race hadn’t progressed beyond their base fears, and that it appeared technology was the only thing that separated them from their caveman ancestors. Worst of all, Connery realized, he’d brought some truly terrible people on board the fleet. The civilian ministers, urged on by their constituents, declared martial law for the fleet. The military presence was increased dramatically. The curfew Connery originally instigated was strengthened. Everyone was to remain in their cabins after the 6PM dinner. Except for immediate family members, no groups larger than three could be together either in public or private. The people, desperate for peace and security, voted to extend military presence. For security against a minority, they voted away their own freedom. Another year passed with the increased armed presence and there were no new outbursts of violence, but the people remained imprisoned within the confines of the ships, as they had been for over two and a half years. Fearing another uprise of insurgency, Connery called for a secret meeting between the civilian ministers and the military to discuss easing the restrictions. Morgannis and Connery were going to try out a plan they hoped would persuade the people to put down their weapons and work together. Connery fully believed if they failed to convince them now, the fleet would become nothing but a collection of derelict ships within a year. The board meeting would take place on the Discovery-7 on January 6, 2642. Unbeknownst to Connery at the time, there were already powerful forces working behind the scenes against him, and not from the enemies he thought he had. Terran Republic Lieutenant Commander Brent Waterson called his own secret meeting with Councilman Miller and made clear his concerns to Miller that Connery needed to step down and a more heavy handed approach taken to the operation of the fleet. Waterson intended to frame the insurgents for his plan, and if Miller didn’t back him, harm would come to Miller’s family. Ultimately the plan itself was never fully revealed to Miller. By the time the New Conglomerate was made aware of the conspiracy it was too late and the evidence had been destroyed. Death of a Legend On January 6, 2642, the fleet is awakened by massive explosions on the civilian starship Discovery-7 in what was called “a savage act of treason by unknown agents.” The tragic destruction of Discovery-7 occurred during the undisclosed meeting between Mission Commander Thomas Connery, TR military representatives and several civilian insurgent leaders. The attacks resulted in the loss of Commander Connery as well as the lives of all 591 on board. Brent Waterson becomes the new provisional commander and quickly enforces an immediate fleet-wide curfew while the council confers to determine a plan moving forward. The next day another vote is sent out to the people to determine which security measures should be enacted. The Level 2 option giving the TR military control over all fleet ships is passed by only a 2% majority vote. The measure also gave the TR military the ability to perform random searches with the intent to find weaponry possible for the attack on Discovery-7. Those found possessing such weapons would be executed without trial. Furthermore, identification had to be carried at all times, and curfew hours remained in place. Only a few short months later, on April 10, 2642, a world that could support human life on the other side of the very system the fleets were in is discovered. The condition the atmosphere was in couldn’t be determined yet, but they were confident regardless that the terraforming equipment would be able to handle whatever the planet threw at them, so long as there was oxygen and a nearby star. Finally the fleet had real hope again. Plotting a course, they determined they would arrive on “New Earth” by January of the following year. With hope restored to the crew, spirits lifted and people began drifting more into cliques. Those individuals that valued law and order and who feared the rise in violence and crime gravitated to the Terran Republic gatherings. The TR continued to give speeches, promising safety and security, and they drew a lot of the frightened folk in with their message of protection and being treated equally. The group of businessmen, the New Conglomerate, surprisingly started drawing in a lot of younger individuals. The NC’s rallying cry for freedom from government intervention is something that regardless of whether a hired mercenary, a businessman, or a young individual they all seemed to favor. The conglomerate group, fed up with the increasingly harsh government regulations, decided to stand together against a common enemy despite their diverse backgrounds. Connery’s dear friend and xenobiologist Henry Briggs found himself spending a lot more time with the other scientists, doctors and techs. Each day between shifts and during breaks, a growing number of them came together in the mess or in the labs and talked about their lives. One of their favorite subjects was the artifact Henry and Connery had found years earlier. Henry never revealed too much, even though he desperately wanted to, because he feared being labeled insane, a fact he wasn’t even sure of himself. Yet, they were still excited by what he did reveal. They were thrilled at the very concept of learning about a race that had no ties with humanity. The small group was definitely filled with kindred spirits, less involved with the politics of the TR or the NC and far more aligned with Connery’s hopes for the future. Most of the fleet, except the insurgents themselves, believed that Tom Connery’s death and the destruction of the Discovery-7 was the insurgent’s plan. Many of even Connery’s closest friends now believed that if Waterson had just been able to take stronger control earlier, perhaps Connery would have survived to see the day they discovered New Earth himself. Many questioned the actions of the military, but those laws also allowed the people to never have to question their motives. Peace and the rule of law, but never at the expense of their citizens. The democracy they created on Earth was to extend to all of their colonies. But now many also questioned Waterson’s ability to release the control he’d taken. Miller did his best to keep the fleets calm and optimistic, to assure them all the measures and curfews were only temporary. He assured people that Waterson fully intended that the military would return control to civilian authorities as soon as they landed. Little detail is given of events over the next 175 years. The fleet landed on New Earth in January 2643 as planned. Upon landing on their new homeward however, thing didn’t change as Waterson and Miller had promised. Strict curfews, which had been put into place during their travels when discipline needed to be maintained, were not rescinded after they landed on New Earth, or Auraxis as it was named. In fact, they were made harsher. “Don’t worry,” the TR council told the people, “we have a planet to reshape, cities to build, and we don’t know what the hell might be out there. As soon as we can, all restrictions will be lifted, but for the safety of our 60 thousand citizens, we have to keep all rules and laws in place." The TR kept the peace and ruled the government. The NC built and set up their businesses. Five years after arriving on New Earth Xenobiologist Henry Briggs discovers an alien artifact identical to the one he discovered alongside former Terran Republic President Tom Connery in 2634. He receives another vision and becomes the first human to actual hear an alien voice. Exactly ten years after that he commits suicide for unknown reasons. Over the next century the scientists find and learn vast amounts of information about the Vanu. Through excavating their cities and analyzing their artifacts they learn the Vanu have been extinct for approximately 325 years before the humans arrived through the wormhole. However, its revealed that at least the Vanu followers continue to receive sporadic telepathic feedback since Henry Briggs death. Regardless of motives or affiliations, it’s clear the crew of the expedition worked grudgingly together year after year to build a new home for everyone to exist and thrive on. With a new place to call home, and the fear of starvation finally gone, the underlying differences between groups remained, and over time grew, so just how long could the peace last? The Next Great War? June 21, 2845 After 175 years of tentative peace the Terran Republic and New Conglomerate groups collapse into open warfare after accusing each other of breaking off and attacking each other. Confusing reports over the NC taking control of a Kane Prison Compound in the Kaorr desert region and trying to release their captured forces while the TR opened fire for no reason caused both leaderships to walk away from the ongoing peace negotiations. Following the announcement that peace negotiations had been called off between the TR and NC, Chairman Willis Scott, leader of the followers of Vanu declare themselves an independent Sovereignty. With the open declaration of war by the other Empires the Vanu decide they can no longer remain neutral and declare war on all those who oppose their views. To save the world that Vanu once ruled, in order for humanity to reach its full potential, they decide they must take up arms and destroy them both. Welcome to Auraxis. For more check out Planetside 2 News Feed Related Links New Conglomerate | Vanu Sovereignty | Terran Republic | Timeline of Events Category:Lore